Today, Riigikogu decides: will Russian citizens and owners of gray passports be banned?
On Wednesday in the Great Hall, Riigikogu will take a discussion of the bill initiated by the 61 deputy on amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia, who initially stipulated that citizens of Estonia and stateless citizens, as well as citizens of the European Union and NATO countries, could vote, writes BNS.
At present, in addition to Estonia and the EU citizens, foreigners living in Estonia may vote on local elections on the basis of a long -term residence permit or permanent residence right, who, by the day of the election, turned 16 years old and the permanent place of residence is in the corresponding volost or city.
Deputies of Riigikogu submitted two amendments to the draft constitution for the third reading, and the Constitutional Commission decided to support both. Since the amendments are mutually exclusive, the plenary meeting of the Riigikogu will have to make a choice between them.
The first amendment made by 26 deputies of the Riigikogu cancels the suffrage of citizens of third countries and stateless persons living in Estonia, starting with the local elections that will take place in October of this year. As a result of amendments in local elections, only citizens of Estonia and the EU will be able to participate.
The second amendment made by 55 deputies provides for the abolition of the right of voting in local elections for citizens of third countries living in Estonia, and from the next elections and for stateless persons. In the local elections of this year, non-citizens, according to the amendment, will still be able to vote. According to the authors of the amendment, this will give people without citizenship enough to apply for Estonian citizenship and take part in the next local elections as Estonia citizens. In addition, the amendment excludes the right to vote for citizens of NATO member countries.
At the third reading of the draft Constitution, a representative of the constitutional commission will make a report, and representatives of the factions will be able to take part in the negotiations after the session of questions and answers. Then amendments to the project will be considered and a decision was made to amend the Constitution. The Constitutional Commission decided to propose a change in the Constitution urgently.
To make a decision on a change in the Constitution urgently, the majority of four fifth votes of the riigikogu deputies present at the meeting. Thus, for urgent amendment to the Constitution, at least four times more deputies should vote than against. If the method of amending the Constitution will gain the necessary majority of votes, the riegikogu will decide on the adoption of the bill. To adopt the bill on amendments to the Constitution, a majority of two -thirds of the vote, or at least 68 votes, are necessary.
If one of the two votes – about the method of amendments to the Constitution or on the adoption of the bill – will not gain the necessary majority of votes, the draft law on amendments to the Constitution will be considered rejected and work on it will be terminated. In this case, the amendment to the Constitution on the same issue cannot be initiated within one year.
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